Arrest Made in Suspected Arson Fire on Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro’s Home: Police

‘My family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police,’ the governor said.

Investigators are on the scene after an overnight fire at the governor’s official residence, in Harrisburg, Pa., on April 13, 2025. Marc Levy/AP Photo

Police said on Sunday that a person is in custody after a suspected arson fire at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion.

The announcement came after Gov. Josh Shapiro’s mansion caught fire overnight, prompting the governor and his family to evacuate.

Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris identified the man in custody as Cody Balmer, 38, of Harrisburg. Paris emphasized at a Sunday afternoon news conference that the investigation is ongoing.

Dauphin County District Attorney Francis Chardo said that forthcoming charges will include attempted murder, terrorism, attempted arson, and aggravated assault.

Authorities said the suspect hopped over a fence surrounding the property and forcibly entered the residence before setting it on fire.

“Last night at about 2AM, my family and I woke up to bangs on the door from the Pennsylvania State Police after an arsonist set fire to the Governor’s Residence in Harrisburg,” Shapiro said in a statement on social media on April 13.

The governor said that fire officials in Harrisburg arrived on the scene to put out the fire, but that he and his family were evacuated by Pennsylvania State Police officials.

“Thank God no one was injured and the fire was extinguished,” Shapiro stated. “Every day, we stand with the law enforcement and first responders who run towards danger to protect our communities.”

Shapiro did not provide further details about the incident but said that he and his wife “are eternally grateful” to police for keeping them safe.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks at the Labor Caucus at the Hyatt Regency Mccormick Place during the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The governor and his wife have four children together—Sophia, Jonah, Max, and Reuben. It’s unclear how many children were there at the time.

Before the incident, the Democrat, who is Jewish, posted on social media that he and his family were celebrating Passover.

“From the Shapiro family’s Seder table to yours, happy Passover and Chag Pesach Sameach!” he said on social media platform X on the evening of April 12.

“While the fire was successfully extinguished, it caused a significant amount of damage to a portion of the residence,” the Pennsylvania State Police Department said in a statement. “While the investigation is ongoing, the State Police is prepared to say at this time that this was an act of arson.”

Shapiro and his family were in another part of the mansion at the time of the fire, the statement reads. There were no injuries.

On April 13, fire damage was visible on the residence’s south side, primarily to a large room often used for entertaining crowds and for art displays, according to reporters at the scene. There was still a police presence early that afternoon as yellow tape cordoned off an alleyway and an officer led a dog outside an iron security fence.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, there was widespread speculation that Shapiro was on the shortlist to be the Democratic presidential candidate and then as former Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate. She eventually chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

As governor, Shapiro was also involved in providing updates in the aftermath of the assassination attempt against then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. At one point, Shapiro described Corey Comperatore, who was shot and killed at the rally, as “a hero” for trying to shield his family members from the gunfire.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.